Meet the olinguito

Meet the olinguito

Meet the olinguito

The olinguito (oh-lihn-gee-toe / IPA [ˌoʊlɪŋˈɡiːtoʊ]; Bassaricyon neblina), which is Spanish for "little olingo", is a mammal of the genus Bassaricyon in the family Procyonidae(the raccoon family). Its discovery was announced on 15 August 2013.The olinguito is distinct from other olingo species within the genus, and also from the kinkajou (kinkajous resemble olingos, but are not closely related). Its average weight is 900 grams (2 lb), making it the smallest procyonid. The animal is an omnivorous frugivorethat eats mainly fruits (such as figs), but also insects and nectar resulting in feces the size of small blueberries. The olinguito is thought to be solitary, nocturnal and moderately reclusive. Olinguitos appear to be strictly arboreal. They have a single pair of mammae, and probably produce a single offspring at a time.

The researchers who identified the species were unable to discover any local names specific to it.Specimens of the species have been identified from the cloud forest stretching from central Colombia to western Ecuador and confirmed in the wild. The species is not considered to be immediately at risk, but it is estimated that over 40 percent of the animal’s potential range has been deforested.

Its discovery was announced on 15 August 2013 by Kristofer Helgen, the curator of mammals at the Smithsonian National Museum of Natural History, olingo expert Roland Kays of the North Carolina Museum of Natural Sciences and collaborators. Helgen discovered specimens of the species in storage at Field Museum of Chicago and used DNA testing to confirm a new species.

The discovery was the first identification of a new mammal species of the order Carnivora in the Americas in 35 years. The species was not identified sooner despite having been regularly seen and even publicly exhibited. The animal had previously been confused with its taxonomic cousins, the olingos. One such example was Ringerl, an olinguito who lived in the National Zoo in Washington, D.C., for a year and also toured many other zoos. Researchers unsuccessfully tried to breed her with olingos, not realizing she was a different species. Ringerl died in 1976.

Meet the olinguito

Meet the olinguito

Meet the olinguito

The olinguito is smaller than the other olingos that constitute the other species in the genus Bassaricyon. The olinguito is also much furrier, has a different tooth configuration, a shorter tail, and smaller ears than those olingos. The olinguito is found in the northern Andes at about 1500 to 2750 meters above sea level, which is much higher than the habitats for the other olingos.

Based on morphological distinctions, four subspecies have been described: the nominate Bassaricyon neblina neblina, and B. n. osborni, B. n. hershkovitzi, and B. n. ruber.